prenatal care

When women in India find out they are pregnant with girls, prenatal
care changes for the worse, according to research from the University of
California and Michigan State University.

Women are
often the question askers during prenatal visits, but there is no reason
why expecting fathers can’t ask questions as well. Playing an active
role in prenatal care helps develop a strong parental foundation.

I knew plenty of women who didn’t even know they were pregnant at six
weeks, much less have had already been to the doctor and have baby’s
first sonogram ready to put in the scrapbook. Was she jumping the gun,
or was she doing what she needed to do? 

It goes without saying that prenatal care is important to the healthy
growth and development of a baby. In fact, one of the very first things
most women do when they suspect they may be pregnant is make an
appointment with their gynecologist.

From the first weeks after conception, the breasts are naturally
preparing for breastfeeding. While the body is taking care of the basics, you’ll need time to prepare
for the art of breastfeeding.

The birth of your child is a physically intensive process many women are
not ready to undertake. Making simple changes to your diet and
lifestyle early in your pregnancy can mean a world of difference when
labor begins.

Everyone is worried about what to expect when they are expecting, but
what should they expect when they are expecting to expect? The answer,
fortunately, is far less confusing.

Pregnant women who will be pregnant or give birth during flu season
are encouraged to have the flu vaccination. Pregnancy reduces natural
immunity, which makes pregnant women more susceptible to contracting the
flu.

Information collected by the Pelotas Birth Cohort was used in a recent
study published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. The study reported
prognostic factors doctors can look for in patients with prior low birth
weight pregnancies.

About 50% of women living in low to middle income countries are not
receiving adequate antenatal care. Researchers from the University of
Central Lancashire recently published a qualitative study of various
countries in the journal PLoS Medicine.

Preconception care is a health plan that focuses on taking steps to improve the health of the man and woman before they conceive.

Starting in the 20th week of the pregnancy things start getting a little more interesting. The size of your belly starts telling you secrets about baby inside.

Although the details of the research is limited, a new study out of
Gujarat, India shows a direct connection between socioeconomic status
and medical care sought and received by pregnant women and newborns.

A missed menstrual cycle is the first and most common indicator of
pregnancy for most women, but even if you test positive for pregnancy
this early on does it mean you need to start prenatal care?

When my doctor told me I would have to go to the hospital at 7 months
pregnant and bare my backside for a shot I was curious and not too
thrilled. He called the shot RhoGam and he explained that I needed the
shot to possibly save my life and the life of my baby at birth.

If during the ultrasound an infant is deemed smaller than they should be
for gestational age, special attention may be paid to infant size for
the duration of the pregnancy.

The care I received via the midwife was less than stellar, but that doesn’t mean all midwives are the same. 

From the first minutes after finding out you’re pregnant, you are
constantly making decisions. Decision making will be a major part of
your life for the next 18 years or so – but before you jump into
parenthood, you may want to decide where you’ll give birth.

Premature birth is associated with increased risk of developmental
delays and death. Researchers in Malawi have concluded that these delays
affect premature infants well into the second year of life.

Text4Baby is a text service that sends health messages about pregnancy
and maternal health to a cell phone. The service also connects women
with resources for further information.

One of the biggest decisions for a working mother is when to return to work after their baby is born. Some mothers have their minds made up, whether for personal or financial reasons, to return to work just 6 weeks after the baby is born.

When you do decide to reveal your pregnancy to your employer, you need to make a list of important contacts within the company and your personal prenatal care to ensure you know whom to contact when the pregnancy nears the due date.

Providing women who are having unprotected sex with a home pregnancy test could have a substantial impact on the health of potential newborns.

Researchers found a 50% decline in the use of family physicians for prenatal care over the last 10 years.

Your first doctor’s visit will likely be the longest as there are many questions both you and your doctor will have.